Introductory Edition
FREEThe VLC School of Medical Coding
Medical Coding, the Free Introductory Course lets you take a test drive through the profession to see if you like how it feels.
Medical coding was developed as a universal numerical language for the medical profession so physicians and healthcare workers could pinpoint descriptions of medical and surgical procedures for insurance companies. These codes provide the clarity that insurance firms need to be confident that information is 100% accurate, and to keep paperwork and payments flowing.
In this short medical coding free course, you can see how claims forms work, get a feel for the HCPCS coding system, test your command of medical terminology, and take a run through a Superbill, guided by arrows pointing out all of the important features. And your test drive even extends to some exercises and tests so you can see if you want to keep going straight into the Medical Coding Course.
Medical Coding, the Introductory free Course will also give you an idea of the terminology you need to know in order to work in the healthcare industry. If this language sits nicely with you, then you'll know you are ready for the longer journey into the Medical Coding Online Course. The medical coding course is designed to provide you with everything you need to know to be a professional Medical Coder in the healthcare industry.
Register for this free course today, and get started on a career in health care support.
ONLINE MEDICAL CODING COURSES
Certification programs in medical coding. Classes, training, and certification programs in medical coding.
Training in Medical Coding Medical coders turn physicians' notes into standard medical insurance codes so that claims can be readily processed and paid. If you're great with detail and enjoy working with numbers, you'll thrive in a medical coding career.
What you will Learn in Online Medical Coding Courses you will learn about medicine and coding when you take online medical coding courses. Your courses will cover medical terms, anatomy, and pharmacology, so that you understand the services physicians provide. You'll also take courses in basic and advanced coding languages, such as CPT-4 and ICD-9. Make sure that the program in which you enroll will prepare you to take the Certified Coding Associate, the Certified Professional Coder-Apprentice, or Hospital Apprentice exams. Most online medical coding certificates can be completed in a year or less; an associate's degree in coding takes about two years. Look for a school that gives you coding experience with both inpatient and outpatient records.
What you will do in your Medical Coding Career as a health information coder, medical record coder, or coding specialist, you will work in the insurance billing department of a healthcare facility or private billing firm. Insurance claims by our aging population are expected to keep the demand for medical coding extremely strong, making medical coder a secure career choice. You can find out about the profession and coding exams through the American Academy of Professional Coders.
Sources: American Academy of Professional Coders (www.aapc.com) Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov)
The Important Role of a Medical Coder in order to streamline medical insurance claims, every symptom, diagnosis, procedure, and treatment is assigned a universal numeric code. This code tells the payor exactly what service was performed in a hospital, doctor's office, clinic, etc. A numeric language is used to discern the different types of services.
As a medical coding specialist, it's important that you determine these codes in a fast and accurate manner. You select them based on notes and information provided by a physician. Without a standardized coding system and knowledgeable medical coders, medical insurance claims could not be effectively paid.
This nationally recognized Medical Billing and Coding online training certificate program is designed to prepare students to fill positions for medical coding and billing professionals. Skilled medical billing and coding technicians are in high demand these days! In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in medical tests, treatments, and procedures that will be increasingly scrutinized by health insurance companies, regulators, courts, and consumers. Also, patient information must be entered into computer databases to comply with new Federal legislation requiring the use of electronic patient records. Finally, health care facilities are having difficulty attracting qualified workers, mostly because of the lack of both formal training programs and sufficient resources to provide on-the-job training for coders.
All of these factors have combined to create a huge potential job market for qualified medical records technicians, and this course will provide you with the skill set and expertise that will make you irresistible to prospective health care employers. Upon successful completion of the Medical Billing and Coding course, students will be prepared for an entry-level position doing medical billing or coding in a medical office setting and will be prepared to sit for the CCA national certification exam.
Some typical tasks for the Medical Billing/Coding Professional include:
- Registering of patient information.
- Performing insurance verification, pre-authorization and referral tasks.
- Preparing and posting transactions on day sheets, charge tickets and patient accounts.
- Coding and billing insurance claims.
- Collecting patient payments and performing collection activities.
